India is preparing for another major expansion of its aviation network, with the central government drawing up plans to establish 100 new airports over the next decade as part of efforts to make air travel more affordable and accessible across the country.
The proposed airport expansion is expected to involve an investment of around ₹30,000 crore and will primarily be linked to the government’s regional connectivity programme, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik).
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced the plan while inaugurating India’s third hub-and-spoke air connectivity operation at Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat.
Ahmedabad launches third hub-and-spoke operation
Naidu inaugurated the new service in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi.
The hub-and-spoke model is designed to connect passengers from smaller cities and regional centres with major airports, allowing them to access domestic and international destinations through larger aviation hubs.
According to the minister, the model had earlier been introduced from Varanasi and Amritsar, where it received an encouraging response.
The government believes the approach can help integrate smaller cities into India’s expanding aviation network while making connections to international routes easier for passengers outside major metropolitan centres.
Airport network more than doubles since 2014
Naidu also highlighted the rapid growth of India’s aviation infrastructure over the past 12 years.
The number of operational airports in the country has increased from 74 in 2014 to 166, marking a substantial expansion of India’s airport network.
The minister said the pace of infrastructure development has also accelerated, with an airport or airport terminal being completed approximately every 40 days on average during the period. “While there were 74 airports in 2014, today we can proudly say that India’s map features 166 airports. Going from 74 to 166 set a record for the country. Over the last 12 years, we completed work on a new airport or a new terminal roughly every 40 days,” Naidu was quoted as saying by PTI.
He said the achievements recorded so far represent only the beginning of the country’s aviation expansion and credited UDAN with significantly widening India’s air connectivity.
Modified UDAN gets ₹28,840 crore allocation
The government’s next phase of regional aviation development is also backed by a significant financial commitment.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Modified UDAN in March 2026.
The programme has been allocated a total outlay of ₹28,840 crore, including financial support from the central government.
With the proposed 100 new airports and expansion of regional connectivity routes, the Centre aims to bring air travel closer to people in smaller cities and towns while strengthening India’s overall aviation infrastructure.
